Challenges in store for flood control

Super typhoon Nepartak will pose more challenges to flood prevention in the Yangtze River Basin, especially its lower reaches, after flooding there killed 161 and left 61 missing.

According to the Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, flooding has affected 49 million people in the Yangtze basin, with 2.9 million evacuated since the flood season began this year. The flooding has resulted in economic losses of 103 billion yuan ($15.4 billion). Most of the losses came after June 30.

On Sunday, floods destroyed one part of an embankment in Xinhuayuan, Hunan province. At the end of the day, more than 21,000 of the 27,488 residents had been evacuated. To prevent flooding, 10 trucks loaded with stones were driven to the damaged part of the embankment, which was expected to be rebuilt late on Monday, according to Beijing Youth Daily.